A/N: I own nothing.
A/N: Yes, I know it's been awhile. I'm sorry, I've been busy and sick and getting back into the whole "going back to school" thing after Spring Break. Okay, so I know I left a cliffhanger at the end of last chapter (there's one on this chatper too, don't kill me). The killer/abductor IS revealed in this chapter, so that suspense will be over. I'm actually surprised at some of the guesses...no one got it right, though, ER watchers, if you think back some seasons, I'd have thought you might get it. Anyways, I want to thank my wonderful reviewers onetreefan, jcn2416, MusicaGrant, Caia, KaydenceRei, SVU101, LLF, neela149, Kaity, Alicat Sanders, CarbyLivesOn, LadyPiper1, and aBbY oLiViA eR sVu. You guys rock! Keep it up!
Tension settled over the table when the clock turned to 8:00. Carter stiffened and shot looks between the door and his watch, as though he could slow down time or make Abby suddenly appear at the door. Olivia and Elliot exchanged nervous glances and then a small nod of comprehension.
"Excuse me," said Olivia breathlessly. She gave a huge fake smile to 'Michael.' "Bathroom." Elliot nodded at her and she rose and walked down the hall. As she passed the door to the ladies' room, she gave it half a glance before continuing down the hall to the back exit. She exited the restaurant, extracting her cell phone from her purse as she went. The rain was pouring harder than ever; Olivia was grateful for the jetted roof over her head.
She pressed the cool plastic to her ear, waiting for him to pick up.
"Cragen." Her captain's voice was laced with tiredness.
"Captain, it's Liv," she said quietly.
The captain's voice immediately became more alert. "What's up, Olivia?"
"We have a problem."
"What kind of problem?" asked Cragen testily.
Olivia sighed. "Abby's missing."
There was a long pause on the end of the line and Olivia could tell he was contemplating the options. "How long?" Cragen asked at last.
"She was supposed to here – at the restaurant – at 7:00, and still hasn't shown."
"And she didn't call?"
"No," said Olivia sadly. "What should we do, Cap'?"
Another pause. "Benson and Stabler are about to arrive in Chicago."
Olivia smiled at the captain's lighthearted remark and ended the call. She stayed outside, looking longingly at the stormy skies, wondering where Abby could be…and who had taken her. She took a last look at the rain, and then walked back into the restaurant. She headed directly to their table.
Elliot caught her eye as he saw her coming back. When she gave him a curt nod, he returned it gently and turned to Carter.
"Dr. Carter, is there a place we could speak privately?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
John Carter's hand froze on his mug halfway between the table and his mouth. He and his two dinner companions were back at the Carter mansion while the storm still raged outside. A look of utter shock was on his paling face as he stared at the two people across from him. He could hardly believe his ears. "You're who?" he managed to choke out.
The woman previously called Jennifer reached into her purse. "Detective Olivia Benson," she answered calmly, displaying her badge. "NYPD."
"N-Y-P-D?" repeated Carter slowly. He shook his head. "What are you doing here?"
The man who called himself Elliot Stabler cleared his throat. "We're part of the Special Victims unit in Manhattan" A faint connection was dawning on Carter now. "We're investigating the rape of Maggie Wyczenski and the homicide of her son, Eric."
Carter closed his eyes and tried to take the information in. Poor Abby! "Why did you come to Chicago? Couldn't Abby have come to you in New York?"
He distinctly saw the two detectives exchange looks before Elliot answered. "We received a credible threat warning Abby against contact with the police."
We came here undercover to see if we could find out who was behind it," continued Olivia softly.
Carter's face contorted. "You guys are horrible!" he exclaimed irrationally. "Abby is missing, probably dead now!" He rose and began pacing like an angry lion. "And what are you going to do about it?" he spat out.
Olivia spoke in a pacifying tone. "We need your help, Dr. Carter." Carter snorted, but the detective continued as thought she hadn't heard him. "Abby is missing, and we're sure she knows her attacked. You may, too." Carter looked up eagerly, and ceased his angry walk. "Do you know of any exboyfriends."
Carter winced. "You're looking at one." He saw Elliot throw his partner a superior look with his eyebrows raised. "I broke up with her last year." Dumbest thing I ever did.
"You broke up with her?" clarified Olivia. Carter nodded, and he saw the female detectives smirk.
Elliot coughed. "Obviously it can't be you who's doing this…Do you know of anyone else she used to date?"
Carter nodded again. "She used to date another doctor – Luka Kovac – before me."
Olivia's face hardened. "Did she end it, or did he?"
Carter frowned. "I'm not sure. I think their relationship sort of fell apart because of things they both did."
Olivia and Elliot nodded. "When was Dr. Kovac in New York?" asked Elliot.
Carter paused suspiciously, wondering how they knew that, and then realized they must have checked for any doctors in the ER who were recently in New York. "He just got back, but he was in Manhattan for a conference…" His voice trailed off as he caught sight of the detectives' faces. Horror cursed through him like poison.
No, he though, not Luka. It couldn't be…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The pain was so intense that at first Abby couldn't even open her eyes. She screwed up her face against the cry of agony fighting to escape from her parched lips. She took a deep breath to steady her racing heart, and then opened her brown eyes.
The ceiling above her was white. Squinting in the bright sunlight – the storm was clearly over – she turned her head to the right, away from the sun, trying to gain a notion of her surroundings. The walls were dark. Abby felt another shot of pain go though her wrists and she scrunched her eyes together tightly.
The door opened. Abby tried to open here eyes, but the pain was too strong. She could feel that she was lying on her back on what felt like a bed. Bile rose up in her throat as she realized why her wrists were so painful; they were tied to the bedposts. The footsteps drew nearer to her, as she lay helpless on the bed. She felt very vulnerable and exposed.
Her captor stood at the foot of her bed, watching her. "I see you're awake, Abigail," the deep voice sneered. Abby struggled to get a glimpse at the man, but the pain and bright light forced her to keep her eyes shut.
The man gave a soft laugh. "You always were a stubborn bitch," he remarked coldly as he watched her suffer and struggle with the pain. "You're not going anywhere, I'll make sure of that. But just in case you do…" He pulled a dirty blindfold from his pocket. Now that she was awake, he could control her as he pleased. "You'll never know who I am…but won't you always wonder who it was who got their revenge after so long? Who would want to screw you that badly?"
The phrase stuck in Abby's head, but she couldn't place a name to it. "Who are you?" she choked out before his lips were on hers and the blindfold was tied tight around her eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler entered the ER for the first time without their respective roles early the next morning. They walked straight to the admit desk while Carter went off toward his locker. Several doctors were conversing in low tones at the desk.
"No, I haven't seen her," said a blond doctor worriedly. "Not since last night. She's not answering her phone and I've already left several messages on the machine…" She bit her lip as her voice trailed off,
"Don't worry, Dr. Lewis," said another one with a British accent. "Her shift's not until later."
Dr. Lewis continued to frown. "What if she-"
"Hello," said Olivia brightly, interrupting the doctors' solemn conversation. "I'm looking for Dr. Weaver."
The doctors exchanged confused looks. "Why, Jennifer," one of them said. "You're later."
Olivia gave her a grim smile and pulled out her badge. Next to her, Elliot did the same. "I need to speak with Dr. Weaver."
Dr. Kerry Weaver was a middle-aged woman with reddish-brown hair and a brace on her leg. Though she looked formidable, Olivia and Elliot still felt at ease as she ushered them into the lounge.
"What did you want to talk to me about, Jennifer?" she asked briskly. Olivia winced and she and Elliot exchanged glances.
"Well," said Olivia, "first of all-" She pulled out her badge. "This." She handed her badge to Weaver.
"Olivia Benson," said Weaver softly. She looked up in confusion. Her eye fell on Elliot. "And you're not Michael Stevens, are you?"
Elliot shook his head. "Detective Elliot Stabler. My partner, Detective Benson, and I are from the Manhattan Special Victims Unit."
Weaver frowned. "Would you like to speak to Abby?"
Olivia and Elliot exchanged another glance. "Dr. Weaver," said Elliot, "we were sent here undercover for a reason." He pulled the note out of his pocket and handed it to Weaver. She read it quickly, and then handed it back to him, eyes wide.
"Who sent that?" she asked sharply.
"We were hoping you could help us with that," said Olivia quietly. Weaver stared at her. "Could you help us find any of her ex-boyfriends?"
Weaver closed here eyes. 'Did you already talk to Dr. Carter? He was the most recent one."
Olivia nodded. "This morning."
"Then," said Weaver, opening her eyes," I believe the one before that would be Dr. Luka Kovac."
"Could we get his number, please?" asked Elliot.
"I think he's on today," said Weaver, shaking her head. She stood up from her seat and walked to the door. "I'll get him and bring him in here, shall I?" She left the lounge, leaving Elliot and Olivia alone to ponder their thoughts.
The two detectives sat down to wait in the now otherwise empty lounge. They pulled out their files and got ready to greet Dr. Kovac. Finally Olivia broke the silence.
"Do you really think it's him?" she asked quietly.
Elliot shrugged. "At this point, I'm ready to thing practically anything." The door suddenly opened again. The detectives turned around.
A tall man stood in the doorway. He had a broad chest and black hair. He was wearing a white coat over his dress shirt and tie. The detectives presumed he was the doctor they were looking for.
"Dr. Weaver said you wanted to speak to me," he said. His voice was husky and he ah d a distinct Eastern European accent. His dark eyes looked curious, yet nervous as he spied the two detectives.
"I'm Detective Stabler, and this is my partner Detective Benson," said Elliot coolly. "We're looking for a friend of yours."
"Or maybe she's more than a friend," said Olivia softly, settling herself down on the couch. "Dr. Lockhart?"
Kovac, who had been looking confused, now cleared his expression. "Abby," he murmured.
"Yeah, Abby," said Elliot roughly. "Word on the street is you know her quite well."
"Even dated her," added Olivia casually.
Kovac looked horrified. "Abby's missing?" That seemed to be the only thing that had registered from what Elliot and Olivia had just said. "Where is she?"
Olivia cocked her head. "We were hoping that you could tell us."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Captain!" Munch came bursting into Cragen's office waving a paper and wearing a smug smile. "Captain, I've figured it out."
Cragen hurriedly swallowed the licorice he had been chewing on. "What did you find?" he asked excitedly.
Munch handed him the paper. "Everything fits with this guy. I can't believe we hadn't thought of it before."
Cragen took it and glanced at it. His eyes widened, and then his expression became hard. "Are you sure about this, John?"
Munch nodded. Cragen paused, scratched his chin, and then gave a wan smile. "Tell Liv. Get Fin to start looking for a location on this guy. I want his residence A-SAP."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dr. Luka Kovac felt as though his world had been turned upside down. Abby – missing. And they think I did it! The female detective – Benson – was still staring at him, waiting for a response. She and her partner seemed to be growing more suspicious with every passing second.
"I don't know what you mean," he said shakily.
Stabler opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, he was interrupted by faint ringing. He frowned, looking at his phone, apparently confused as to why it wasn't ringing.
"Benson," answered his partner into her phone. Stabler stowed his phone back in his pocket rather sheepishly.
Benson was frowning deeply into the phone. She nodded slightly, and then she froze in shock.
"Are you sure?" she asked in surprise. She nodded again. "Right here. Okay, we'll ask him." She caught her partner's eye and mouthed something Luka couldn't catch, but the other detective could; a stony expression crossed Stabler's face and his eyes narrowed. "When did you say hew as in New York?" Benson was saying into the phone. She nodded slightly and frowned again. Her voice suddenly became more confident and authoritative. "Find the location. El and I want to be the first to know." She hung up and replaced her phone in her pocket.
"Dr. Kovac," she said. Luka frowned at her. The tone of her voice had changed completely. It was now urgent instead of suspicious. He narrowed his eyes. "Have you heard of Richard Lockhart?"
Luka felt his stomach clench. "Yes – he's Abby's ex-husband. They divorced shortly after Abby came to the ER."
The detectives exchanged nervous glances. "Did she end it, or did he?"
Luka frowned. "She did."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Abby turned her face sharply away from her captor. Even with the blindfold on, she could tell who had just kissed her.
"Richard," she whispered in horror. She distinctly heard him smirk.
"Yes, Abby," she said silkily. "I knew that phrase would stick. 'Screw you, Richard,'" he mocked, bringing her back to the day, four years ago, when she found out he hadn't paid her med school tuition. She had come to his golf course, and the two had a shouting match on the green.
He was advancing on her now. "You destroyed our marriage, Abby, with your stupid drinking problem. Your depression and alcoholism were never my problem – nor my fault. You did that to yourself. You destroyed us – you, along with your crazy mother and worthless brother. A waste of a wife, I'd say." He pressed his lips to hers again, tasting her fear and disgust. He pulled away from her, apparently satisfied. When he spoke again, his voice held a new desire. "I was wrong, Abigail. It appears you may be good for something after all."
Abby gasped as she felt him unclasp her bra. "You never wanted to have children with me, and I so wanted to. Of course," he continued, his voice growing softer as he spoke, "with genes like those," he paused again, allowing his words to sink in and hurt her. "Who'd want them?"
Abby gave a small sob. Richard pressed a hand heavily on her mouth. "Abigail, don't cry. You made my life hell." He paused and grinned manically. "I'm just returning the favor.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"It's him, isn't it?" asked Kovac worriedly. "It's Richard." He looked at the two detectives. "Isn't it?"
"Yes," said Elliot softly. "It is."
Kovac slammed his fist on the table. "Sonuvabitch. I always knew he'd be after her again."
Olivia gave a small nod. "I don't suppose you know where he'd be?"
Kovac shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry. I don't know."
"Would Dr. Carter know?" asked Elliot.
Kovac shrugged. "I doubt it." There was a pause. "Am I free to-" he gestured towards the door.
Olivia nodded. "Of course."
Kovac opened the door just as Carter was coming in. "Morning Carter," he said curtly. Carter gave a short nod; his attention was focused on the two detectives instead.
"Did you find anything?' Carter asked as the door shut. "It isn't Luka, is it?"
"No," said Eliot "It's not. It's Richard."
Carter's face hardened. "Have you located him yet?"
Olivia shook her head. "Our unit in New York is looking for him. They should be calling short-" Her phone went off again. This time Elliot knew it wasn't his. Olivia answered. "Benson." She nodded excitedly and then mimed writing in the air. Elliot understood what she wanted immediately and quickly handed her a pen and pad. She wrote down an address. "Got it! Thanks John." She paused. "Yes, I'll make sure to let you know." She hung up.
"We got an address."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Abby lay helpless on the bed. Her wrists were still tied to the posts, but they were no longer painful. The day was passing quickly; it was nearing late afternoon. And still no one had come for her.
Richard was finally gone, thank god. He had left awhile ago, saying he didn't know when he'd be back. Abby didn't care. In fact, she preferred him out of the house. That way she didn't have to see him. How she despised him! When she divorced him four years ago, she never thought she'd find herself in this position: back in his clutches, under his control.
Oh, Carter! Abby thought sadly. Where are you now? Tears began to fall again, and this time she didn't try to quiet her sobs. She was quite alone, she knew, as Richard had gone out. She had never found herself in a position so threatening. It was worse than when she had been kidnapped; worse than when Brian beat her up in her apartment. This time it was Richard.
How dare he say those things to her! How dare he insult her mother, her brother, her family, and her genetics? Richard knew he could say those things to hurt her. And he had – emotionally, and then physically. After he finished raping her, he left her lying just as helpless on the bed, as though she were only there to be his whore. The thought of it made her sick.
I can't keep living like this, Abby told herself severely. I'm never going to let him touch me like that again. The humiliation was almost more than she could bear. She was supposed to be strong, and here she couldn't even protect herself.
Abby heard a lock click from somewhere behind the closed door. She stopped crying abruptly; Richard was home. Fear and anger gripped her again. I will not let him hurt me, she thought, I'd rather die than let him touch me again. She could hear him coming closer. She thrashed her wrist against the bedpost in frustration…it struck something.
She moved her fingers closer, trying to feel what it was. A pill bottle! She grabbed it and held it at an angle so she could read the label. They were sleeping pills and by squinting to read the label, she could tell the bottle had recently been refilled. The footsteps were right outside her door now. She could tell Richard was there in the hallway, listening to her, seeing if he had made her cry before he could come in and rape her again. I will not let him hurt me! Fearful determination gripped Abby, and she started to shake the bottle. Luckily for her, Richard hadn't locked the cap when he last used the bottle; a few of the pills spilled out onto the bed, but most stayed in the now open bottle. In an instant, she understood why her mother had done it. She knew she didn't have much time. Ignoring the pain in her wrist as she tilted the bottle awkwardly toward her mouth, she dumped the bottle's contents into her mouth. The pills were thankfully small and easy to swallow. As Abby felt them fall down her throat, she felt a deep satisfaction. At least Richard can't hurt me now.
"I love you, Carter," she murmured as she felt herself drift away.
A/N: All right, so here's your cliffhanger. Now, I was actually surprised at the reviews for last chapter - for the first time, my ER reviewers had more reviews than my SVU ones! Maybe this time, I'll post the next chapter one day earlier for the show that gives me the most reviews evil smile Maybe I'll do it, maybe I won't (does seem kinda mean...). Anyway, review! Oh, and SVU readers, check out the two links on my profile page. They take you to two quizzes on SVU - a trivia one, and an obsession one. Have fun:)
